Department for Transport

Heathrow Airport: Railways

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what written representations they have received from (1) railway businesses, (2) aviation businesses, and (3) other interested parties since 1 January on the development of a Southern Rail Link to Heathrow Airport.

baroness sugg: The Department has been engaging with rail and aviation businesses and other interested parties to better understand their views on this scheme. This is being done as part of the work to clarify Government’s objectives for the scheme which was a recommendation of the Market Sounding Findings Report, published in December 2018.

Nissan: Sunderland

lord shipley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will provide funding to Sunderland City Council to cover the cost to that authority of leasing land at Deptford Terrace to create a temporary lorry parking facility for vehicles delivering to Nissan's Sunderland plant that could be delayed due to disruption at ports in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

baroness sugg: The Government has provided Sunderland City Council with £210,000, split between 2018/19 and 2019/20, to help the council prepare for EU Exit, which the council can decide how to spend according to local need.

Aviation: Egypt

lord stone of blackheath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the resumption of flights by Italy and Germany to Sharm el-Sheikh; what plans they have to allow the resumption of such flights from the UK; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK's ban on flights to that city on the likelihood of terror attacks in the UK.

baroness sugg: It is for each country to define the security requirements they need to protect their citizens. We do not comment on the aviation security measures that other countries have in place, nor do we assess other impacts on the current restrictions on flights. The UK continues to work closely with the Egyptian authorities, sharing aviation security expertise, and we look forward to achieving the return of flights when the situation allows. The terrorist threat level to the UK is kept under constant review by the independent Joint Terrorist Analysis Centre, whose judgements about the threat level are made on the basis of the very latest intelligence. However, it is long standing government policy not to comment in detail on security arrangements.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Post Office: Finance

lord arbuthnot of edrom: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 19 November 2018 (HL11350), how many such requests for permission have been requested by Post Office Limited under that Article within the last two years.

lord henley: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. Within the last two years, Post Office Limited has not submitted any requests under Article 11.1(O) of its Articles of Association to incur a commitment or liability of more than £50 million.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Sudan: Demonstrations

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Sudan about (1) the imprisonment and treatment of those involved in anti-government protests in Sudan, and (2) the decision ofthe Al-Emtedad emergency court to sentence nine girls, who were arrested during such protests, to flogging and one month in jail.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK remains deeply concerned by the Government of Sudan's response to ongoing protests. We continue to call for the immediate release of those detained, for them to be treated in accordance with international standards and for the government to respect the rights of the Sudanese people. The Minister for Africa most recently raised our concerns with the Foreign Minister of Sudan on 13 March including our outrage at the sentencing of young women to flogging, which we are pleased to hear has been overturned. The British Ambassador in Khartoum has also raised our concern over the detention of protesters on a number of occasions and the Sudanese Ambassador to the UK was summoned to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 7 March.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Israel about the arrest of two Palestinian children who were taken to an illegal Israeli settlement during a raid by Israeli forces on al-Bireh City.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to make representations to the Israeli authorities on this issue and we remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding Palestinian children in detention in Israel.

Eritrea: Human Rights

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey support the mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea; and what assessment they have made of the case for continued monitoring and public reporting of human rights abuses in Eritrea.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have consistently supported the mandate of the Special Rapporteur. It was clear from the Universal Periodic Review on Eritrea, conducted in January 2019, that the human rights situation in Eritrea remains of significant concern to the members of the Human Rights Council. We have encouraged the Government of Eritrea to consider fully all the recommendations made as part of that process, and continue to urge their cooperation with the Special Rapporteur. We look forward to her annual report, which will inform the Council's discussions on Eritrea at its 41st session in June.

British Overseas Territories: Marine Protected Areas

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 19 March (HL14356), whether thereis a requirement to board suspect vessels in the Marine Protected Areas.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Measures to manage and protect the maritime zones of the UK Overseas Territories, including where Marine Protected Areas have been established, are contained within the relevant Territory's legislative provisions. These can include powers for designated officers to board and inspect fishing vessels within their waters, irrespective of suspicion of infringement.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 21 March (HL14601), whether, under the proposed deal, the UK can decide unilaterally to leave the EU.

lord callanan: Following the passing of the EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017 by Parliament, the Prime Minister notified the European Union of our intention to withdraw under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union.We have since agreed the terms of our exit, as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement.We have further agreed an extension to Article 50, and on 27 March Parliament approved a statutory instrument to redefine “exit day” under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 to reflect the new point at which the EU Treaties will cease to apply to the UK.

Department of Health and Social Care

Prisons: Drugs

lord patel of bradford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average waiting time for prisoners to access an accredited drug treatment programme in prison; and how long, on average, an individual participates in an accredited drug treatment programme in prison once they have begun treatment.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Data on substance misuse treatment in prisons and other secure settings is available from Public Health England’s National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS).The latest NDTMS report for 2017-18 shows the median time between a person entering an adult secure setting and receiving a triage assessment for substance misuse treatment was one day. Nearly all - 96%, or 34,368/35,689 - adults started their first treatment intervention within three weeks of being assessed but would start treatment immediately if it was clinically appropriate to do so. The rest - 3% or 1,092 - waited over three weeks, and 1% or 229 did not have an intervention recorded.The report also provides information on the mean length of time adults participate in structured treatment while in a secure setting. The average length of a treatment intervention for opiate clients was 72 days, non-opiate clients was 125 days, non-opiate and alcohol clients was 112 days and alcohol only clients was 78 days.

NHS: Drugs

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the value of drugs supplied by the NHS which are returned unopened or unsealed and subsequently destroyed due to (1) the death of the recipient, and (2) others reasons that made the use of them unnecessary.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department has made no recent estimate of the value of drugs supplied by the National Health Service, which are returned unopened or unsealed and subsequently destroyed due to the death of a recipient or another reason that made their use unnecessary.

NHS: Drugs

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, and if so why, drugs supplied by the NHS which are returned unopened or unsealed owing to circumstances which make them no longer required are destroyed.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department is concerned about wastage from unused medicines and is keen to minimise unnecessary extra costs. However, it does not promote the reuse of returned medicines that have left a pharmacy and returned unused by patients. This is because it is not possible to guarantee the quality of returned medicines on physical inspection alone. When medicines are returned from patient’s homes, there is no way of knowing whether the medicines have been stored or handled appropriately. Some medicines may deteriorate if, for example, left too close to a radiator, in direct sunlight or exposed to the environment. This applies whether the medicines are unopened or unsealed.

Pathology: Laboratories

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cytology laboratories have been operating in the UK in each ofthe last five years; and how many they estimate will be operating in each of the next five years.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: In each of the four years leading up to 2018/19, there were 48 providers of cytology laboratory services operating across England. By the end of the year 2018/19, this number had reduced to 46 as two providers did not wish to continue providing cytology services.NHS England is currently undertaking a national procurement to secure service providers to deliver human papillomavirus (HPV) primary screening, and as part of this process NHS England will consolidate the 46 laboratories who currently support the programme to a maximum of nine laboratories. The HPV pilot evaluation suggested that the need for cytology could reduce by as much as 85% when HPV testing is used as the primary screen.The successful providers are expected to be announced in April 2019 and five year contracts will commence from July 2019. Providers are expected to convert to HPV primary screening by December 2019, and operate from a single site by 31 March 2020.

Glucosamine

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government which body decided that 1,500mg glucosamine tablets should be provided on prescription only; when this decisionwas taken; for what reason the change from being available from a pharmacist to being prescription only was made; and what evidence underlay that decision.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: In September 2018, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published a decision that it intends to regard glucosamine products, at doses equal to or greater than 1,178 milligrams of base glucosamine per day, to be medicines. This figure is equivalent to 1,500 milligrams glucosamine sulphate.This decision follows a 2016 Court of Appeal judgment which required the MHRA to reconsider its classification of glucosamine; in particular to consider the ‘manner of use’ of glucosamine, that is, why people use the products. The figure of 1,178 milligrams relates to the level at which a pharmacological effect on the body has been established.This decision is unrelated to the classification of glucosamine as a prescription only or pharmacy only medicine (P and POM). Currently, there are United Kingdom licensed POM and P medicines containing glucosamine and these are indicated for relief of the symptoms of mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee. There have been no glucosamine products reclassified from P to POM.

Mental Capacity

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what training Approved Mental Capacity Professionalswill receive in supporting people with communication needs.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Under the Liberty Protection Safeguards arrangements Approved Mental Capacity Professionals (AMCPs) will independently consider Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards applications in specific circumstances, such as when there has been an objection to the proposed care arrangements and in other relevant cases. The Department is presently working with Social Work England and other organisations to develop the training program for AMCPs. The Statutory Code of Practice currently being developed by the Department will support professionals such as AMCPs in carrying out their role under the new Liberty Protection Safeguards.

Department for International Development

Internally Displaced People

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, what assessment they have made of the report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesGlobal Trends: Forced Displacement in 2017, published on 25 June 2018, which estimates that (1) on average, 44,400 people were forced to flee their homes each day, (2) 68.5 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, and (3) there were 40 million internally displaced people, in 2017 as a result of persecution, conflict, or generalised violence; and what steps they are taking to devise, encourage and promote international initiatives to tackle the root causes of current levels of mass migration.

lord bates: UNHCR’s Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2017 is an important tool in informing our support for refugees and internally displaced persons around the world. At least half of DFID aid is focussed on fragile and conflict affected states and regions – the drivers of forced displacement. DFID’s aid programmes seek to address drivers of conflict, instability and lack of economic opportunities which in turn help to tackle some of the root causes of displacement. By creating jobs and livelihoods, improving education, and facilitating labour mobility we are giving people more opportunities to build a decent life at home or in their region. The UK Government has been actively involved in the development of the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees, both of which have now been adopted. These two Compacts offer a cohesive and forward-leaning framework to improve the international response to large movements of people. The UK is also supporting the UN and member states to set up a High-Level Panel on internally displaced persons. The overarching goal of the Panel is to galvanise action to reduce the number of internally displaced persons, whilst providing more effective protection and assistance, and reinforcing the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.

Mozambique: Storms

lord kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to provide support to Mozambique following flooding caused by Cyclone Idai; and if so, what support will be provided.

lord bates: The UK is the largest donor to the Cyclone Idai response, having committed up to £22 million of additional UK support to the people affected by the devastating floods in Southern Africa. UK aid is supporting the World Food Programme to feed 400,000 people in Mozambique for two weeks by distributing emergency food and food vouchers for people to use at local markets. We have sent life-saving relief supplies: tents and thousands of shelter kits that have now landed in Mozambique. We continue to monitor the situation closely, and the UK stands ready to provide further support if needed.

Sudan: Overseas Aid

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 14 March (HL14228),what grants DFID Sudan has disbursed to the government of Sudan's institutions in each of the last five years.

lord bates: DFID Sudan provides no direct financial assistance to any Government of Sudan institutions. DFID Sudan provides some funding that is disbursed by implementing partners to Government of Sudan institutions.

Zimbabwe: Storms

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the impact of sanctions on Zimbabwe on the relief effort in response to Cyclone Idai.

lord bates: The UK’s focus in responding to Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe is on providing essential health supplies, hygiene kits and child protection support. We continue to monitor the situation closely and stand ready to provide further support as needed. The EU retains sanctions against former President Robert Mugabe, his wife Grace Mugabe, and the company Zimbabwe Defence Industries. We consider that sanctions have been an appropriate response to the political violence of the last 15 years. They do no damage to the wider economy or to the people of Zimbabwe and have no impact on the UK’s relief effort.

Southern Africa: Storms

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to provide urgent assistance to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi following Cyclone Idai.

lord bates: The UK is the largest donor to the Cyclone Idai response, having contributed up to £22 million - £4m of which has been used to match the UK public’s generous contributions to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s appeal. We have sent life-saving relief supplies: tents and thousands of shelter kits are being distributed to those who have lost everything. UK aid is supporting the World Food Programme to feed 400,000 people in Mozambique, and cash transfers for food purchases in Malawi. In Zimbabwe, we are providing essential health, hygiene and child protection support. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely, and the UK stands ready to provide further support if needed.

Southern Africa: Storms

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai of the logistical needs of (1) Malawi, (2) Mozambique, and (3) Zimbabwe; and in respect of each, what has been their response.

lord bates: Cyclone Idai has devastated parts of Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. There have so far been over 700 fatalities and the UN estimates that up to 2.6m people may be affected. Mozambique has been the hardest-hit with almost 17,400 houses destroyed and up to 350,000 people at risk due to rising water levels. The UK Government is providing up to £22 million in support, including £4 million to match the UK public’s generous contributions to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s appeal. In Mozambique, UKaid is supporting the World Food Programme to feed 400,000 people and we have sent life-saving relief supplies including tents and thousands of shelter kits. In Malawi, we are helping 140,000 people to feed themselves and in Zimbabwe we are providing essential health supplies, hygiene kits and child protection support. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and stand ready to provide further support if needed.

Southern Africa: Storms

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with international relief agencies in order to coordinate assistance to the region affected by Cyclone Idai.

lord bates: The UK is working closely with international partners to address immediate needs across the region. On 21st March, the Secretary of State for International Development spoke with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and called on him to ensure that the UN mobilises quickly and effectively. Ministers are in touch with other key international figures to ensure an effective response. UK staff on the ground are working closely with relief agencies to coordinate the response, and senior officials are in regular communication with their counterparts across the international community.

Southern Africa: Storms

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the deployment of the British Armed Forces to provide engineering and logistical advice and support to the region affected by Cyclone Idai; and whether they have received any requests for such assistance.

lord bates: The UK Government has deployed an RAF A400M Atlas aircraft to deliver up to 20 tonnes of UK aid supplies in support of the cyclone response in Mozambique. DFID, as the lead UK department is working closely with the Ministry of Defence and continues to keep additional options for UK assistance under review.

Department for Education

Pupils: Diabetes

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether primary schools with pupils who have type 1 diabetes receive additional funding towards the extra adults required to take care of such pupils; and if not, why not.

lord agnew of oulton: All school funding is in place to ensure that schools makes provision for all children. This includes an allocation for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Mainstream schools are expected to meet the first £6,000 of special educational need support costs for each child from their budget, which is calculated under a local formula that includes factors that provide extra resources to schools for their pupils with additional needs. Where a school finds that further support is required, they can ask the local authority to provide top-up funding. It is for the local authority to determine what level of top-up funding is required for each pupil, based on individual needs.

Voluntary Schools

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will be taking to ensure that local authorities adhere to the duty to conduct a comprehensive equality impact assessment when deciding whether or not to approve applications to open new voluntary-aided faith schools which are legally permitted to select all of their pupils on religious grounds.

lord agnew of oulton: Alongside the launch of the capital scheme for new voluntary-aided schools, the department published updated statutory guidance for proposers and decision makers on opening and closing maintained schools. This guidance is attached.The guidance sets out the requirements for the decision maker to adhere to the Public Sector Equality Duty. They are also required to consider the impact of any proposals on the relevant protected characteristics and any issues that may arise from the proposals. 



Opening_and_closing_maintained_schools_guidance
(PDF Document, 501.3 KB)

Ministry of Justice

Berwyn Prison

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the investigation by the Financial Times into the operation of HM Prison Berwyn, published on 6 March.

lord keen of elie: HMP Berwyn has been operating well since it opened and represents a key part of our investment to reform and modernise the prison estate.We are increasing the population at Berwyn at a measured rate that ensures the safety of prisoners and staff. As with any new prison there have been planning and implementation issues which we have worked hard to resolve, and we know there will be more to do as we move towards full occupancy.Lessons learned from Berwyn, along with our extensive consultation of stakeholders and prison design experts, will shape our approach as we develop an estate that can improve rehabilitation and create safe and secure environments for staff and offenders.

Prisons: Riot Control Weapons

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times PAVA spray was deployed in each (1) month, and (2) prison in England and Wales since its authorisation in December 2017.

lord keen of elie: PAVA spray is being trialled in 4 prisons, HMPs Preston, Hull, Risley and Wealstun. The table below shows drawings and/or use of PAVA since December 2017 to March 2019. Prison Officers are given training in the lawful and appropriate Use of Force, including PAVA. PAVA must only be used for personal protection, the protection of others or to facilitate the safe withdrawal of staff. MonthHullPrestonRisleyWealstunTotalDec-1710001Jan-1800145Feb-1804116Mar-18025512Apr-1803148May-18287320Jun-185117124Jul-1806309Aug-182310419Sep-182109122Oct-1804307Nov-18288119Dec-1813239Jan-19064111Feb-19175114Mar-1920215Total18756830191

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Migration

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 26 November 2018 (HL Deb, col 534), what progress they have made in examining the possibility of a round table initiative in response to the migration crisis; whether they intend to hold such a round table; if so, when; and if not, why not.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: My officials have been in touch with their Home Office counterparts to explore the possibility of holding a roundtable. I will write to my Ministerial colleagues at the Home Office to determine progress.

Carbon Monoxide: Alarms

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government why private landlords are required to install a carbon monoxide alarm under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 while those renting their property on sharing economy platforms are not.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The requirement to install a carbon monoxide alarm under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 does apply to properties rented on sharing economy platforms in cases where they are occupied as a person’s only or main residence.All landlords, including those who let property on a short-term basis, must comply with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 to ensure gas appliances, fittings and chimneys/flues provided for tenants are safe, including keeping a record of the annual gas safety check.Where homes let on sharing platforms are not occupied as a person’s only or main residence, we are encouraging the Short Term Accommodation Association to drive up standards and promote best practice, and the STAA advise their members that Carbon Monoxide detectors are provided for any rooms were gas, oil or solid fuel is burnt (https://www.ukstaa.org/fire-safety).



Fire safety
(PDF Document, 866.81 KB)

Employment and Support Allowance

baroness sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Buscombe on 20 March (HL14428), what guidance they have given to local authorities to assess the amount of (1) council tax benefit, and (2) council tax support to which those individuals identified as entitled to income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) but who were moved to contributory-based ESA from incapacity benefit would have been entitled, and on the steps taken to compensate those individuals for any loss.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Local Council Tax Support schemes are designed and operated by individual local authorities. The Government is considering whether individuals being placed on contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), rather than income-related ESA, may have impacted their eligibility for council tax support or council tax benefit and the levels of support granted to them. Subject to the outcomes of this work, the Government will consider the need to produce any specific guidance for local authorities.

Ministry of Defence

Yemen: Military Intervention

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK forces have been involved in any direct military action in Yemen in the last six months.

earl howe: The UK provides information, advice and assistance to Saudi Arabia to respond to the threat of strategic weapons fired by the Houthis into Saudi Arabia. We are not and have never been a member of the Saudi-led Coalition. Our assistance is clearly limited to addressing this specific threat. UK military personnel in Saudi Arabia remain under UK command and control.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Subsidies

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written AnswersbyLord Gardiner of Kimble on 14 March (HL14136 and HL14137), what is the number of individual farmers who are awaiting (1) Countryside, (2) Entry Level, and (3) Higher Level, stewardship payments from (a) 2016, (b) 2017, and (c) 2018.

lord gardiner of kimble: A farm business may hold more than one agreement and make multiple claims. As of 17 March 2019:1) All eligible Countryside Stewardship 2016 and 2017 claims have received a payment apart from exceptional cases such as those that cannot be paid for legal reasons such as probate.There are just over 6,100 2018 claims still due an advance payment. Any claim that has not been paid a 2018 advance payment by the end of March will be issued a bridging payment in early April.RPA are on track to complete 95% of 2018 final payments on claims by the end of July.2) The information held on Environmental Stewardship claims does not currently separate between Entry and Higher Level agreements.All eligible 2016 claims have received a system advance and/or final, or a bridging payment. All eligible 2017 claims received an advance or bridging payment.RPA is on track to complete 95% of 2017 final payments by end of July. There are just over 9,500 2018 claims due their advance payment.

Cabinet Office

Civil Servants: Conditions of Employment

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure parity of conditions of service between employees of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence.

lord young of cookham: Pay for those below the Senior Civil Service is delegated to departments and requires departments to develop arrangements for remuneration of their own staff, in accordance with chapter 7 of the Civil Service Management Code.For the Senior Civil Service pay the Government submits annual evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) who make recommendations on the pay of the SCS. Pay is then set centrally for this group in accordance with chapter 7 of the Civil Service Management Code.

Treasury

Loans: Developing Countries

baroness d'souza: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make greater provision to enforce due diligence on loans made to developing countries initiated by banks based in the UK.

lord bates: The sustainability and transparency of debts held by low income developing countries is currently a G20 priority. Given the complex nature of sovereign debt, we continue to believe that internationally-agreed approaches are the most effective way to achieve progress in this area. The UK recognizes that creditors, including private creditors, have an important role to play in promoting sustainable lending. The G20 is currently supporting the Institute of International Finance’s efforts to increase the transparency of lending to developing countries, which we hope will support sustainability and drive up standards. Separately, in the UK, there are already prudential requirements for firms to hold sufficient capital against their exposures and have adequate risk controls in place. These are supervised by the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Tourism: Internet

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toaddress fraudulent reviews on travel and tourism websites such as TripAdvisor.

lord ashton of hyde: The Minister for the Arts, Heritage and Tourism met with TripAdvisor in July 2018. DCMS Tourism officials have also held a number of meetings with TripAdvisor to discuss a range of issues.Companies that post fake reviews are breaking consumer law. In the past the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has taken enforcement action against a UK marketing company that wrote fake online reviews for small businesses. It has also taken enforcement action against a number of review sites to improve their systems and practices. The CMA continues to monitor the sector closely and will consider further enforcement work if necessary.